Can we talk about the Georgia Aquarium? (Atlanta: appointed, 2015)

[ATLTJL]

I assume everyone saw the news that ANOTHER beluga whale died. If not, here:

Maris the beluga whale dies suddenly at Georgia Aquarium - CNN.com

But I want to talk about the aquarium.

I like it. I think it's been a great addition to the city, and I think the displays are nice.

However, I've been disappointed in the aquarium for abandoning its mission of research and pandering to visitors by adding a dolphin show when everybody knows that keeping dolphins in captivity and making them do tricks is wrong.

And the beluga tank is neat, but let's face facts: the aquarium's track record of keeping them alive is appalling. What will it take for them to admit that a beluga exhibit just doesn't make sense?

I'm also against the after hours events the aquarium holds. I think it makes great business sense, and I'm sure the learning opportunities are great. But marine life is highly sensitive to day/night cycles and anybody who has ever kept fish knows that they are highly aware of activity outside their aquariums. I think the aquarium should keep later hours and stay open until 9pm, but the house between 9pm and 9am should be rest time for all the animals.

What do you all think?

I like the aquarium overall, I just feel it isn't living up to the high standard that I hoped it would.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I assume everyone saw the news that ANOTHER beluga whale died. If not, here:

Maris the beluga whale dies suddenly at Georgia Aquarium - CNN.com

But I want to talk about the aquarium.

I like it. I think it's been a great addition to the city, and I think the displays are nice.

However, I've been disappointed in the aquarium for abandoning its mission of research and pandering to visitors by adding a dolphin show when everybody knows that keeping dolphins in captivity and making them do tricks is wrong.

And the beluga tank is neat, but let's face facts: the aquarium's track record of keeping them alive is appalling. What will it take for them to admit that a beluga exhibit just doesn't make sense?

I'm also against the after hours events the aquarium holds. I think it makes great business sense, and I'm sure the learning opportunities are great. But marine life is highly sensitive to day/night cycles and anybody who has ever kept fish knows that they are highly aware of activity outside their aquariums. I think the aquarium should keep later hours and stay open until 9pm, but the house between 9pm and 9am should be rest time for all the animals.

What do you all think?

I like the aquarium overall, I just feel it isn't living up to the high standard that I hoped it would.

Like you, I like the aquarium, but I do share your sentiments regarding the dolphins and belugas. I've never thought about the late night activities, but what you point out makes a lot of sense.

[Ant131531]

It's too commercialized these days. That's why a decent portion of people end up...well...disappointed at the whole experience...especially when you compare it to the TN aquarium.

It's a tourist trap just like the CNN Center and World of Coke, but oh well...it makes a lot of money and I don't see it being changed anytime soon.

[koko339]

The place left a bad taste in my mouth the minute we got in. WAY too commercialized and theme park-ish. Never went back, but I've been to the TN Aquarium multiple times.

[Dkeating]

You'd think Atlanta would send a delegation to Chattanooga to figure out how to do family tourism. Their children's museum is leagues better than ours is, too.

[DONNIEANDDONNA417]

the last time I was at the Georgia Aquarium people were standing around the shrimp bowl with their lips smacking asking wheres the cocktail sauce

[ATLTJL]

I think we shouldn't worry about what Chattanooga is doing and instead learn some best practices from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Of course, Atlanta will never have an endless supply of fresh seawater and access to world class marine biology programs in its backyard the way Monterey Bay does, that aquarium has really maximized its space. It feels much smaller than the Georgia Aquarium....yet it's much better. I think it's because it really stresses education over just gawking at the seal creatures.

I'd love to see more of that at the Georgia Aquarium.

We have whale sharks. We get it. Time to stop resting on those laurels and start doing some really great things. And dump the stupid dolphin show and set those animals free.

[ncoflin]

I recently visited the Georgia Aquarium for the first time, and from a purely entertainment level I found it was pretty nice. Whatever your ethical opinion on the aforementioned dolphin show may be, the entertainment value of that show specifically was terrible. I expected a show where trainers would bring out the dolphins, talk about the species, their habitat, the individual dolphins themselves...and sure have them do a trick every now and then. However it turned out to be this TERRIBLE two bit off-broadway production about a mythical person named the StarSpinner(or something along those lines) and his quest to raise a ship from the bottom of the ocean. The dolphins would intermittently do flips during a laser light show as the human actors sang and danced. It was legitimately awful...maybe aimed at a very young audience or something. Even those around me were visibly dissatisfied and almost bewildered that this was hyped up "dolphin show" from the brochure. The show was not educational in the slightest.

Now I am far from some huge PETA animal rights activist that holds signs outside the aquarium or a zoo talking about how inhumane keeping animals in captivity is. However, I have common compassion for nature and animals in general. I was deeply ASHAMED of the Georgia Aquarium for recently trying to import wild caught Beluga whales from Russia and their flimsy justification for it. Even SeaWorld does not capture whales from the wild anymore to my knowledge. Thankfully the Aquarium was legally blocked from importing these wild caught Belugas. Yes the aquarium is a business, and needs to make profit but I do think their quest for money is starting to heavily impede the wellbeing of the animals. When this happens this is not a sustainable business model...or shouldn't be anyways. Shame on the Georgia Aquarium.

( Link to story regarding GA attempt to import wild caught Belugas for those who had not read about this before: U.S. Judge stops Georgia aquarium from importing belugas from Russia | Reuters )

[jeoff]

Time to throw in the towel on the Belugas--and I really can't argue against ditching the dolphin show either. I doubt that the aquarium is a money maker, it is philanthropists attempt to do something good for the city--it could be done just a little better is all--maybe with a little more education and community outreach.

[Ant131531]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Time to throw in the towel on the Belugas--and I really can't argue against ditching the dolphin show either. I doubt that the aquarium is a money maker, it is philanthropists attempt to do something good for the city--it could be done just a little better is all--maybe with a little more education and community outreach.

Not a money maker? It gets 2.2 million tourists a year....one of the most visited aquariums in the world. The lines on the weekend, especially a nice Summer or Fall weekend are absurd. I went to the aquarium earlier last year because folks from out of town wanted to do it and we waited over an hour and a half just to get in.